Are Your Clothes Chemical-Free?

So far, we have been educating ourselves only about the negative effects of various substances added to food, water, cosmetics. Their harmfulness is confirmed by the research of the independent doctors, scientists, or experts on the subject.

The dangerous effects of products cannot be concealed because, for example, there is a high mortality rate, medications are withdrawn and they are forbidden to be used in the production of cosmetics or food.

Is it the same for your clothes? Are we safe when it comes to that?

Chemicals in your clothes

Different chemicals are used in the production of materials. It turns out that these are often the same substances that have been removed from the medicines, food, and cosmetics. We focus on the three things listed above but we forget about the healthy textiles in which many harmful substances are used. What effect does this have on our health?

The clothes are in direct contact with the skin and those substances penetrate into our bodies. The skin permeates chemical compounds that dissolve on its surface under the impact of heat and sweat. They penetrate deep into our body and act destructively on the organs.

We should wear clothes made of natural fibers, such as:

silk,

cotton,

flax,

hemp,

jute,

wool.

But only from natural (organic and nontoxic) crops, because …

In fact, it turns out that, for example, cotton fields are sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. So, you get clothes made of natural fibers soaked in harmful substances.

The same applies to the production of wool. Sheep are also regularly sprayed against parasites. This has negative consequences because the wool absorbs them.

Yes, wool is cleaned after its collected, but with what?

Well, with the solvent – trichloroethylene, which is a carcinogen, irritates the skin, eyes, and attacks the nervous system. In the case of cheaper clothes, it is not rinsed out of them.

What’s next?

The wool is again bleached with an EDTA solvent that is not biodegradable and damages the endocrine system.

Next stage: wool dyeing.

With what?

Formaldehyde or ammonium salts.

The softer and more delicate the clothes feel, the more dyes there are with chromium or sulfur. These dyes are very toxic. Some fabrics are printed with the method used in the printing house. After applying the color, it is locked in with a polymer that causes fertility disorders. Manufacturers also add PCF, a substance that, among other things, causes the material to be stiff. It is also harmful.

Formaldehyde is used in all the processes. It maintains the color and shape of the material despite stretching, washing, and rinsing. Formaldehyde has a proven carcinogenic effect. First, it irritates the skin, and then the skin becomes inflamed, which can lead to cancer.

In fabrics, it binds to fibers, so it is difficult to detect. It is released due to the heat of our body, washing, sweat. You can not get rid of it easily. In the production of cheap materials and clothing, and the market is flooded with them, its concentration is exceeded several times.

When transporting clothing (sometimes they travel a long way), they are disinfected and chlorinated, so that various living organisms do not destroy them.

Laundry detergents used in every home – milder which contained phosphates (harmless to health), were removed and replaced with: EDTA, polyethylene glycol, optical brighteners, purifiers, bleaches, softeners, giving fresh fragrance, etc … and they are carcinogenic.

When washing clothes at home with inadequate products, we also harm ourselves. Organic laundries have become very popular lately.

How to protect yourself from the harmful chemicals in your clothes?

Wash new clothes because they undergo a series of chemical processes, they are transported for a long time and repeatedly touched with dirty hands.

Try to buy clothes made of natural fibers. Especially the personal underwear, socks, clothes that are directly in contact with the skin, e.g. pajamas.

Do not choose windproof, tight clothing. Sweating leads to the release of toxic substances into the skin. The same applies to our footwear.

There is an interesting thing with underwear. Research carried out in South Carolina, showed the relationship between wearing bras and the emergence of tumor nodules in the breast. You must make sure that the bra is not too tight, because then it hinders the flow of the lymph, which in turn removes toxins. So, take it off for the night! Pay attention to the underwire. It cannot be too tight, it cannot compress the skin.

As for men’s underwear, it is mostly made of synthetic materials that are colored with more harmful substances than the natural ones. We live in times when nobody cares about our health. That’s why I recommend memorizing the names of the chemicals and reading labels.